Box Clever (NHB Modern Plays)

By Monsay Whitney

Marnie is stuck in a women's refuge, trying to escape toxic relationship patterns, just wanting to do the best for herself and her daughter. But how do you get out of a rut when everyone you know is a liability?
Box Clever is a moving, truthful and darkly comic play, which premiered at the 2017 Edinburgh Festival Fringe in a production by nabokov and The Marlowe, Canterbury, in Paines Plough's pop-up theatre, Roundabout.
'Monsay Whitney is a writer of ferocious honesty, rare imagination and extraordinary humanity. She has the potential to become a startling and significant figure in British Theatre' Simon Stephens

• Language: English
• Publisher: Nick Hern Books
• Release date: Aug 22, 2017
• ISBN: 9781780019291

Monsay Whitney

Monsay Whitney grew up in North London and studied at local comprehensive schools. She graduated from St Mary’s University in 2009 with a degree in Drama and Performance. In 2007, she embarked on an acting career when she landed the role of Marie in Yard Gal, and she took up writing in 2012, after taking part in the Lyric Young Writers class. As well as being developed and shown by and at the Lyric Hammersmith, her play Hand to Mouth was chosen by Simon Stephens as part of Theatre503’s ‘Playwright Presents’ scheme. She is Playwright Associate Artist for nabokov.

Book preview

Monsay Whitney

BOX CLEVER

NICK HERN BOOKS

London

www.nickhernbooks.co.uk

Contents

Title Page

Original Production

Dedication

Characters

Box Clever

About the Author

Copyright and Performing Rights Information

Box Clever was first produced by nabokov and The Marlowe, Canterbury, and performed in Paines Plough’s Roundabout, Summerhall, as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe on 4 August 2017. The cast was as follows:

Monsay Whitney

Avi Simmons

Box Clever has been developed through The Marlowe Roar Programme and has been made possible with the support of The Marlowe Theatre Development Trust.

For Mark

Characters

MARNIE, heavily made-up, late twenties

JOANNE, social worker

LIAM, Marnie’s ex

STEVIE, Marnie’s ex

CHARLENE, housemate

FI FI, Marnie’s key worker

EMMA, support worker

ESTATE AGENT

MAN IN FRONT

BUS DRIVER

GILLIAN, Marnie’s mother

ELIJAH, Theresa’s son

THERESA, housemate

VERONICA, housemate, Damien’s mother

DANNY, Marnie’s ex, Autumn’s father

SAM, housemate

STEVIE’S GIRLFRIEND

AUTUMN, Marnie’s daughter

SECURITY

RED-FACED POSH FELLA

YOUNG POLICEMAN

OLD POLICEMAN

FLORENCE, housemate

SYLVIA, housing adviser

There is no specification as to cast size.

This ebook was created before the end of rehearsals and so may differ slightly from the play as performed.

The actor – or actors – is/are present on stage during entrance of the audience – acknowledgement, pleasantries. Then –

MARNIE sat, slumped, still, staring ahead, deep in thought, chewing gum. This goes on for some time until she removes the gum and disposes of it in paper. She replaces the old gum with new gum. Two of them. Continues chewing.

JOANNE. Miss McCabe? Marnie? They’ll be ready for you shortly.

MARNIE (to JOANNE). How long are they gonna be?

JOANNE. No more than five minutes.

MARNIE. I can’t do it.

JOANNE. Well. Er. Er? We’ve been over this –

MARNIE. I’ve had a think about it and. There must be someone who can help. Someone’s gotta be prepared to help us. This is a joke. I’m just not talking to the right people.

JOANNE. We’re helping as much as we can.

MARNIE. This ain’t help! This ain’t helping us.

JOANNE. I know it’s frustrating, when we don’t get what we want –

MARNIE. We haven’t done anything wrong!

JOANNE. Nobody’s saying you have –

MARNIE. You’re not listening to me.

JOANNE. But it will be better for you if –

MARNIE. What was I s’posed to do?

JOANNE. For both of you, if –

MARNIE. Keep my mouth shut? Bumble along like I don’t know nothing?

JOANNE. Calm down.

MARNIE. Like you have? Like everyone else has?

JOANNE. The alternative is –

MARNIE. Yes I know the fucking alternative! I’m not fucking thick!

JOANNE. Stop. Just. Stop.

MARNIE. You’ve failed her. You’ve failed that little girl. Twice.

JOANNE. So you keep saying.

MARNIE. I’m not doing it.

JOANNE. We’re going round in circles again.

MARNIE. I’m not doing it. I’m not doing it. I’m not doing it.

Lights fade.

Lights come up – MARNIE’s in her bedroom. She has a dressing gown over her clothes.

(To audience.) September the 8th.

AUDIO. You have twenty. Seven. New messages. First message received on. September. Second. At two. Fifty. Seven. A.M.

LIAM. It’s Liam. Pick up the phone. Where are you?

Silence.

I know where you are anyway.

MARNIE. Goron then, where am I?

LIAM. Hammersmith, probably. Staying with Connie.

MARNIE. Ha! I think. I’m closer than you think, ya cunt.

LIAM. I’m not gonna chase you. Look, Marnie, I